Separation of Church and State

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the concept of the separation of Church and State, as applied in the United States today. The paper discusses the history of this concept and suggests that according to Thomas Jefferson, the concept was originally created in order to protect religion from government intervention, not the other way around. It discusses and presents other points of view that agree with this analysis.

From the Paper:

"Next, we have Jefferson's view on the subject, which seems to be quite evident. Jefferson believed that this amendment was specifically put in place to protect the church for the state's governing. He believed that the government should never impose a state-wide religion that was mandatory by law. This was mainly to do because that's the main reason why they left England altogether, in order to be free form the king's religious laws. I think that if he saw prayer out of schools and other religious controversies he would be shocked. He would most likely be shocked that America's people are trying so hard to take God out of society especially when God was one of the main ideas this country was founded upon. I believe that eventually he would understand on some cases that yes, not everyone is a Christian and those that aren't don't want to be made to participate in the Christian practices; especially for the fact that he wouldn't want to be required to partake in a Muslim tradition or a tradition of any other religion for that matter. I'm sure that he wouldn't want to see things taken out of our society in which he helped place them there."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Carter. "The Separation of Church and State" A World of Ideas 7th. Ed. Lee Jacob New York: St.Maroins, 2006. 99-110.
• The Separation of Church and State and the Obligations of Citizenship Robert Audi Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 18, No. 3. (Summer, 1989), pp. 259-296. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0048-3915%28198922%2918%3A3%3C259%3ATSOCAS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4
• Thoreau. "Civil Disobediance" A World of Ideas 7th. Ed. Lee Jacob New York: St.Maroins, 2006. 133-158.

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